Thousand Miles
by Foxyinthecity
Summary: John Sheppard find his life in peril again only this time he has more to loose.
1. Chapter 1

Title: **Thousand Miles**  
Characters: John, Teyla, team, and others...  
Episode: possible events after EATG  
Disclaimer: Sadly, Stargate Atlantis and its characters are not my own. I make no profit, only for fun.

Comment: This fic was done for **Scifan1** for this past Christmas' Beya's Secret Elf. I will be posting all of the chapters this week.

Colonel John Sheppard nodded to Mr. Richard Woolsey before joining his team waiting in the Gateroom. For John, these missions had long become routine. But yet, it always seemed like he along with his teammates always found themselves in life or death situations, so there was rarely any mission he took for granted and today's was no different. He had lost many good men on missions that were supposed to be routine.

Walking through the Stargate on any mission, everyone knew there were no guarantees, no assurances that anyone of them would return, but rarely talked about between them. Yet John and Teyla had spoken about the uncertainty of their missions a great as of late. John had made Teyla a promise. It was a promise he intended to keep even if he had to walk a thousand miles to do it. John frowned as the Stargate activated.

0800 hours

The Stargate was activated. Shortly thereafter Colonel John Sheppard and his team enter the event horizon of the Stargate and disappeared through it. Mr. Woolsey watched the team exit the Gateroom from the balcony with his normal casual concern. For him, there were always concern for any mission his numerous teams went on, but this wasn't one of those missions, this was a mission of exploration, possibly establishing new trading partners with the planet's inhabitants.

According to the Intel, they had received about the planet there was no Wraith's presence, but that didn't alleviate his fear. And although with their ongoing battle with the Wraith – the Wraith's dominance that had once reigned in the Pegasus Galaxy had diminished greatly. And their relationship with Todd however, tenuous, had been beneficial to both parties. But the Wraith weren't considered friends by any means. Mr. Woolsey felt that familiar shiver went down his spine. The incident on the Daedalus always reared itself as a frightening reminder even with the passage of time. Trust with the Wraith was like a leave or flower with the changing of the seasons, it blossoms for a season or two, only to die in winterkill.

1500 hours

Mr. Woolsey hurried in the control room. "Amelia…have we heard any word from Colonel Sheppard and the others?" Amelia nodded no. Mr. Woolsey frowned. "Please see if you can establish some form of communication with them. I'm afraid Colonel Sheppard's presence is needed more here at the moment." Mr. Woolsey said, a frown cementing his brow.

"Yes Sir." Amelia turned from looking at Mr. Woolsey, to look at the control panel in from of her. She pressed down on a couple of the controls on the console. "Colonel Sheppard this is Atlantis, please come in. Colonel Sheppard, this is Atlantis please reply." There was no reply. Amelia tried several more attempts, communication was silent. Amelia turned to look at Mr. Woolsey who was hovering close by. "I'm sorry Sir no response from Colonel Sheppard."

Mr. Woolsey looked at Amelia now clearly concern about the status of the Colonel Sheppard and the Colonel's team. "I want you to continue to try to get Colonel Sheppard or any member of his team. Let me know immediate if you do. Otherwise, I think we may have to consider sending out a rescue team or teams if we haven't heard anything from them in the next couple of hours."

Amelia nodded. "Yes Sir." Once again she turned to look at the control panel in front, one of her hands adjusting the radio at her ear as the other touch the controls. "This is Atlantis, Colonel Sheppard, Dr. McKay,…"

1700 hours

"Mr. Woolsey…"

Mr. Woolsey touched the radio to his ear. "Amelia…"

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Comments: I am changing the fic slightly, from how it was posted on Beya.

Part: 2

1500 hours

The ground had finally stopped shaking around them; the cloud of dusty from the falling rocks dissipating around them. Ronon joined Rodney who was lifting himself off the ground several yards from the entrance of the tunnel in the mountain.

"Where's Sheppard?" Ronon asked Rodney.

Coughing as he had raise to his feet, Rodney took a moment to respond to Ronon. Looking away from Ronon frowning, Rodney shook his head no. John had been behind him. And he had just barely made it out of the tunnel with his life intact and Rodney feared that John wasn't as fortunate.

Both Ronon and Rodney looked at the tunnel's entrance blocked off by the falling rocks, rocks so large that they looked more like boulders, with concern.

Palz, a villager joined the Ronon and Rodney by the entrance while the rest of the men from his village looked on from a distance. The look of fear still evidence on some of their faces.

"I do not see Colonel Sheppard." Palz said questioningly.

"That's because he's probably trapped back there in one of your tunnels." Rodney snapped at the man. "Or worse." Rodney's voice trailed off.

Ronon gave Rodney a frustrated look. Ronon needed Rodney to be calm and rational not pissing off the very people who's help they were going to need if they wanted to help Sheppard.

Rodney looked at Ronon as if he was going to say something else, but said nothing more.

"McKay we don't know that." Ronon said.

"That right, we don't. But do you honestly believe Sheppard could have survived that?" Rodney turned to point toward the rock covered entrance of the tunnel. "Hello! Am I the only one seeing how royally screw Sheppard is…. here? We're lucky we even made it out alive ourselves. Sheppard could be buried under a piled of rocks for all we know." Rodney said agitatedly.

"Well there is only one way to find out." Ronon looked at the entrance with a determined glare. "We can start by trying to clear the entrance to the tunnel." Ronon replied.

"My people will help. We are very grateful to you (Palz addressed Ronon.) and Dr. McKay (Palz looked hesitantly at Rodney.) and Colonel Sheppard for your assistance today. We could have lost many lives today. I will gather my people. " With that Palz walked away to talk to the other men from his village as Rodney and Ronon watched.

Once Palz was out of hearing distance, Ronon turned on Rodney and gave him a hard look.

"What?" Rodney asked.

Ronon shook his head in disbelief and then started to pull off his long leather coat.

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing McKay?"

"Oh… You know I don't think it is going to be that simple." Rodney said looking as Ronon.

"Why?" Ronon asked. Ronon pulled his gun from its holster. Rodney looked panicked for a moment.

"You're not going to try and shoot…"

"No McKay." Ronon said.

Rodney now having gotten over his fear that Ronon was about to shoot his way into the tunnels. "Ah, okay. I, I was about to say we don't know how stable the tunnels are. And we could make matters worse if we are not careful." Rodney turned to looked at the rock covered entrance again, frowning.

"That's why you are going to figure out why the radios are not working or head to the Stargate to contact Atlantis for help." Ronon said.

xxxx

_"John, I would like to speak to you in private." Teyla demanded as she approached him and Rodney. She had probably seen him and Rodney walking toward the Mess Hall as she had existed one of the transporters. Even if this opportunity hadn't presented itself, John knew she would have gone in search of him._

_John looked at Teyla, his mouth twisting. It wasn't like he didn't kind of expect her to be upset with him or his decision. He had just been hoping to avoid Teyla for as long as possible, until later and apparently his plan hadn't quite worked out the way he had planned._

_John looked at Rodney. If he didn't know better, he was starting to think Rodney was avoiding looking him in the eyes. If Rodney would just look at him maybe he would see his plead for some intervention._

_But Rodney had seemed to take one look at his and Teyla's standoff before he said, "I, I think I left something in my lab."_

_John frowned at the shear abandonment by Rodney, rolling his eyes in frustration. Some friend? Rodney quickly turned away, walking away without giving a backward glance at either him or Teyla. As he watched Rodney departing back he thought some things never do change._

_Now, he and Teyla were facing each other after they both watched Rodney leave._

_"Teyla we aren't going to be having this discussion here are we?" John asked. They're we in a busy corridor filled with people constantly walking by. And he certainly didn't want them to be the evening gossip on Atlantis._

_"No John we are not." Teyla replied. "I do think we should discuss this matter privately right now though." Teyla said as she gave him a smile. John knew that smile wasn't for him though, it was probably for that scientist who was just walking by them._

_John realized him and Teyla were now in the training room where they have had some heated sparring sessions as of late._

_"John do you not trust my judgment or fact that I can take care of myself?" Teyla said angrily at him._

_"Teyla, com 'on you know you it isn't like that." John voice raised in frustration. " You know I trust your judgment and I know you can take care of yourself. But you're my wife…"_

But you're my wife seemed to echoed in John's unconscious. John's eyes fluttered opened the dream he was having about him and Teyla abruptly ending, leaving only the pounding pressure between his brows. In fact, it felt like his whole body hurt. John closed his eyes from the ached of his body, his mouth tightening. As a soldier he was used to having injuries and dealing with those injuries out in the field and this time wouldn't be any different, but the pain at times could be a bitch and this time apparently wasn't any differently. He grimaced. His lips pursing from the pains racked his body as he opened his eyes.

It took him a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness of the tunnel. The lighting in the tunnels had to be described as dimly lighted as best when he along with the others had entered the maze of tunnels. Lanterns strategically hung from the ceiling had lit the once opened pathways of the tunnels. Now those pathways were all but gone he now figured. Filled with falling debris and fallen rocks from the cave in. Casting most of the pathways in the tunnels into darkness, yet there did seemed to be a small beam of light streaming through a small opening in the rocks a few feet ahead of him, from some kind of entrance or exit outside of the tunnel and maybe a way to the outside world. At least he hoped it was.

John tried to slowly lift himself off the ground, to get a better look at that light and his surrounding, using his underarms he gradually pushed himself off his stomach. But he found his movements were little restricted. Turning his body, slowly, on his side, his back was now more horizontal to the dusty, dirty covered ground. John looked down the length of his body toward his feet. He could now see that one of his foot was pinned in between a couple of the big sizes rocks. John tried to move his foot to see how wedged in his foot was, in between the rocks. It felt like his foot was pretty wedged in. He could hardly move his foot. And trying to move his foot was causing him even more discomfort and pain. John moaned from the pain, biting his down on his lower lip.

John knew the wisest thing to do was probably to assess if he had any other injuries and their severity. Doing a quick evaluations of his aliments, he concluded that the pain from his foot was probably due to an ankle sprain. His joint hurt and it was throbbing. If his foot had been broken, it wouldn't be as painful. So that was something at least.

He didn't think he had broken any other bones or anything of that nature. His chest did feel tight though. And what had him most concern was that he wasn't sure what kind head trauma he'd sustained if any. He had one royal headache that was for sure, but he didn't believe he had any memory loss, but he did lose consciousness there for a while. How long? He wasn't sure. He probably had a few scratches and bruises. His right cheek hurt from the small cut on it. Blood from the cut marring his square jaw slightly.

John had now managed sit up on his buttock, looking around the tunnel. It appeared that he was indeed alone. Maybe Ronon and the other had gotten out unarmed. At least he hoped they did. Damn, it seemed he was hoping for a lot of things right now. He had no way of knowing though. It looked as if he's completely shut off from the others.

They had been evacuating the tunnels when they'd heard the explosion further down in the tunnels. Then suddenly like a cascading effect, the walls and ceiling of the tunnels began to cave in on them. They had try to retreat to the entrance of the tunnel. Ronon had taken point at the front of the group with their guide, Palz , to lead the way out, while he'd remained in the back to make sure all of the Chaldroians had gotten out.

"Ronon!" John muttered.

All John heard was silence in return.

"Hello. Can anyone hear me?" John demanded before he began to coughed.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

I see I don't have that many reviews for this story. A little disheartening because I certainly did struggled with this story. But I do want to thank Ssagey for her continued support. Thanks hun. 

1475

Teyla had been tiding up their quarters for the last hour and half. Her growing baby stomach had not only curtailed her physical activities, but also made her feel listless at times as her pregnancy had progressed. She was in her last trimester of her pregnancy and her stomach had gotten quite huge. She had found lately that she had to tone down a lot of her activities. The physicality of her sparring sessions had lessened quite a bit as her pregnancy had progressed. She no longer went on recon missions with her team. Her efforts were concentrated more on diplomacy with earth's allies in the galaxy.

And yet with these changes, she couldn't recall a time she felt so happy. She did meditate every day, but her happiness stemmed from the fact that she was enjoying this pregnancy which was not quite the case with her previous pregnancy with Torren. In fact, the only thing, that the two pregnancies had in common were her lack of severe bouts of sickness in the mornings. She still did have the unusual cravings, which had gotten her major teasing and maybe once or twice a look or frown of disbelief from her husband and friends. Teyla couldn't help but smile when she thought about some of those moments.

Teyla walked to the small kitchen that was sectioned off from the main area in their quarter. She had put on some water to warm up while she was cleaning. She opened the small pantry and grabbed one of the tea packages from the box, placing the tea bag in the percolating hot water. It wasn't the Athosian's stout tea that she normally drank, but a herbal blend specifically made for women who were pregnant. After making her tea, she headed to her favorite spot by the window with the magazine she had been reading the last couple days during her free time in her hand. Teyla began to skim through it as she gingerly took a sip of the tea. She became engrossed in reading an article on expectant couples as sipped on the tea. Seeing the pictures of the couples and reading their comments made her thought about her own pregnancy. She certainly could understand the rapture of some of the couples; their comments striking a cord within her of familiarity and similarity when it came to their emotions because none of the couple's circumstances or lives could be anything like her own. Yet, it was as if some of their comments were that of her own even if her life was vastly different from the couples in the magazine.

Teyla thought about the life she had. She was a wife and a mother. She was going to have another baby. She was going to have John's baby. This reality was far different from the one they were living as a couple years ago when they had landed on John's planet. And this pregnancy was having a profound effect on her marriage to John. She didn't think she could love John any more than she already had, yet she had been proven wrong.

John had finally begun to open up to her about a great many things in his life, particular things about his childhood and his first marriage as well as the lingering guilt he felt about waking up the Wraith. She had discovered that her husband felt things deeply, but found it hard to express them. That John had still carried the guilt about many things from his past. That John had still blamed himself for his inability to save Aidan and Elizabeth. That John was blaming himself for things that were beyond his control.

Although she had also felt sadness for the loss of her friends, she had found comfort among her friends and her people. For Kanaan had been a comforting presence in her own grief over Elizabeth. Living in the Pegasus Galaxy, she had learnt at all too young of an age, to accept such losses that personal losses were inevitable, and to die old was a rarity among her people. But she hadn't realized for John, it was harder for him to deal with such losses, especially of friends considering he was a solider. Being a solider in the heat of battle there were two certainties - kill or be kill. To lose your life or witnessed the death or destruction of the lives of the people around you and that included the people you cared about. She had wondered lately if that had contributed in some way along with John's issues with his family, to the John she had first met and fell in love with. She was beginning to think that had been John's way of dealing with his demons. That need he had to seemingly put himself in danger so many countless times, so much so, that even Rodney had accused him of having a death wish. It was how John dealt with his past failures.

She had known that her husband was a brave and smart man from their first meeting. That had been some of the things that had attracted her to John besides his charms and obvious physical attributes. But she didn't know that John punished himself every day. John had told her about the Sakari's A.I.'s hallucination. John had learned that he tortured himself every day. She can only grimace of the brutality he had inflicted on himself. She now believed that had been a turning for John in his own healing.

There was a small part of her that had always known that John didn't have a death wish. She had learned immediately that John found it hard to accept failure as an option, and certainly not for the people he cared about because there was never a time she had question John's resolve. She had known when Michael had kidnapped her that John would find some way to come for her. And of course, knowing this about John and in her condition, this has caused her to worry a great deal more about him when he's on missions.

She was no longer on John's team because of earth's military protocols which dictated that they could not serve on the same team. She could only hope for rational reasoning with John and their two friends whiling deal with her own increasing anxiety about John taking unnecessary risks on missions while dealing with John's over-protectiveness of her; John had been adamant about her not going on dangerous assignments, especially when they first learned of her pregnancy.

With this pregnancy, John's over-protectiveness had been very much in evidence and although she had found it quite endearing. She had been also very much frustrated by it at times. For she was a warrior much like John was a solider and yet this pregnancy had caused them to think about their lives in ways that they probably had not thought about before. She had though having Torren had been a life altering experience. In many ways it had. It had made her stronger and yet also more vulnerable. It had made her try to make her relationship with Kanaan work while foregoing her own feelings. Her relationship with Kanaan had been forged more in friendship than love. She had loved Kanaan, but it was a love born from the innocent of youth and rooted in the dreams of childhood. But she had come to realized she and Kanaan were not the same kids. And maybe her expectations of the man, Kanaan could be had been wishful thinking on her part. And her attempts to put aside her feelings for John had not been truly successful.

There had been a time when she had sense from John that he had looked upon her as more than just a team mate, but as a woman, a _desirable _woman. So she had expected John to act upon that interest. But when John did not, it had left her questioning whether she had misread his interest. She had though it wise to move on from her own growing infatuation with John. For John had not given her any tangible encouragement of any kind beyond their bond of friendship. And at the time, she had also begun to question the wisdom of getting involved with someone not of her people. She had been too steep in the ways of her people.

So she had tried to forsake her feelings for John. She had begun to spend more time with Kanaan. With Kanaan she found a companion. Although, he was a friend from her childhood who shared the same kinship of their gifts, he became great source of comfort in troubling times. And in the infancy of their relationship, her world as she knew it came stumbling down around her. Her people were missing along with Kanaan and then she learnt she was pregnant with Torren. At one of the darkest time of her life, there was news that should have given her such great joy and yet she couldn't have felt more alone, loss and confused; weighted down by guilt and yet consumed with anger.

In retrospect, she and Kanaan had not made any declaration of bonding their lives together before he along with their people was taken. Their future paths bind together as one, to be considered husband and wife by earth's standard. She had realized too late that the love she had felt for Kanaan couldn't absolved her of those feelings she had for John. That she did not love Kanaan with a heart that was open and free. So although she had loved Kannan, she could not give him the love he had sort of her. She had allowed what she thought was _right_ to ruled what she felt in her heart for her son.

For Torren, she had fought to give him, his father, his parents; things which were denied to her as a child. Torren had become the center of her world. Things ceased to be about what she wanted, in the personal sense. She had struggled with doubts and the fear. That fear if she continued to put herself in danger, she could possibly leave her son without his mother. But to do nothing, to stand idly by, what kind of future would she be giving her son. Would it be a safe future? Free of the Wraith. John had inadvertently helped her to make that decision at a time when their relationship had becoming increasingly estranged. John had become distance once Kanaan had begun to live on Atlantic. She had been sadden by it all as she struggled with what she hoped were the right decisions. Now when she looked back in hindsight, she can see that Kanaan was never truly happy here on Atlantis. This was the life she had chosen, but for Kanaan, it had not been. Besides Torren, their gifts were the only commonality they seem to share. When Kanaan began to visit their people, she found she welcome the separation.

When she thought back on those times, she was filled with many regrets. But those regrets do not include having Torren though there are times. There is a part of her that wishes that her husband was Torren's father, especially those times when Torren is away visiting his father. Those times of separation were difficult for her because she feared she could be missing some very significant moments or events in her son's life or she would wonder about his safety.

Teyla frowned; frowning at her own thoughts. This period of her life was often difficult to revisit. She put down the magazine and drank what remained of the already cooled cup of tea. Teyla got up to take the empty cup to the small kitchen and then to finish up folding the pile of Torren's clothes she had placed on the bed. It never ceased to amaze her, the amount of clothing that Torren had accumulated living on Atlantic. Now that Torren would be getting a new sibling soon and the newest member of Sheppard and Emmagen's household. She suspected there would be a lot more clothes in the future along with even more changes. Teyla's hand reached down to touched her round stomach, smiling. Teyla looked thoughtful for a moment and then walked into the kitchen.

Teyla was about to put away the last of Torren's clothes when she felt a sudden gush of fluid between her legs.


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks guys for your encouraging words. They do inspire. Without getting any feedback it is hard know how well your story is being received. And nothing kill the muse faster. I actually decided to break up this chapter into two parts. Alright it is late. I hope I didn't make any glaring mistakes.

Part 4

Teyla was then rush to the infirmary. Mr. Woolsey was then notified by Dr. Beckett that Teyla had gone into labor. When they weren't able to contact John or any other member of his team. They did informed Teyla. Teyla had tried to put on a brave face after hearing the news.

Believing that John would be fine along with the others. Because she had faith in her husband and friends. Maybe it had been because they had gotten out of too many dangerous situations before, so she wanted to believe that this time would be no different if indeed, they were in danger. They had lost Ronon on the mission to save Earth from the Wraith almost two years ago. Ronon's life had been taken by a Wraith, but yet a Wraith had bestowed back to Ronon the gift of life even though it was with the intent to interrogate him.

So Teyla tried to hold on to her faith in the face of uncertainty. But Teyla's faith can only alleviate her fears only so much. She was facing the real possibility that she may have lost John and her friends while she was in the process of giving birth to hers and John's child.

xxx

Teyla had a steady stream of people checking in on her. It seemed as if Carson didn't leave her side for more than a few minutes. But that didn't make her feel any better. Her baby wasn't due yet and yet she was in the infirmary having contractions, about to deliver their baby without John by her side. John had promised her it would be his last mission until after she had the baby. Now, because it was her second child, the expectancy of her having a long labor was unlikely, so there was a real possibility of John's missing the birth of own child.

Teyla felt her eyes watered as she felt another contraction.

xxx

Carson walked into the infirmary he wasn't sure what he should tell Teyla. How can he tell her that they had finally heard from Rodney, but that the Colonel's life was in jeopardy. They were monitoring Teyla's pressure. Teyla's pressure had began to rise as her labour progressed. He had given Teyla a Epidural analgesia for the pain as her contractions progressed, but he was concern about her pressure.

xxx

John was frustrated and annoyed for he knew he was pretty much trapped. He couldn't go anywhere and even if he was able to move he still couldn't go anywhere, so that was the most frustrating part for him. His foot was still wedged in between the rocks so his movements were limited and although he had somehow managed to sit up somewhat from his earlier position. It came with a cost. The ground was damn uncomfortable. And his foot was really hurting him. What he wouldn't do for a painkiller right about now.

Being stuck in a cave wasn't new to him it had happened to him before on a planet they had visited in his second year on Atlantis. And he can still remember how miserable he was only this time, it was far worse. He and the others had gone in search of the cause of an energy spike they had detected from the Puddle Jumper on the planet. They had found a small cave and inside of that cave, there had been a square archway carved through the wall at the far end of the cave. It had been some kind of an energy barrier around the threshold. So of course, they had to checked it out.

And when they were inspecting the energy field barrier, he had managed to get himself pulled into the field through the portal of the cave. At least that time, he had been physically fine. It was only when his teammates had failed to rescue him timely, he had ventured out from the cave, to search the surrounding, to find supplies because after two days he had been out of water and he had started questioning whether he was left behind by his teammates. He could still remember his feelings of frustration, of abandonment. He had tried everything and nothing seemed to work. Punching the barrier with force hadn't work.

He had punched the barrier with a great deal of force, his hand had gone through the cloaking field, rippling and that's when he felt the soreness of his fist his reward for his frustrated attempt at punching at the barrier. He wasn't sure what the hell he was thinking when he did that cause it wasn't like he was thinking that he would be miraculously free to go back through the energy barrier, but he sure was hoping that he can.

And then as his frustration grew, he had step up his efforts, injuring himself again, a little bit more seriously on his next attempt. In frustration, he had pointed his pistol at the barrier, but after realizing that someone could be standing right on the other side of the barrier, he had decided to aim it at the bottom of the barrier and then he fired. The problem with that was - that the bullet had bounced off the ground and ricocheted back, striking him in his foot.

John cringed at the memory. Teyla was right wasn't she? Injuries do seem to have a way of finding him. But he wasn't going to admit that to her any time soon. That's if he even got the chance to not tell her. He had been trying his best to not think about Teyla since he had gain consciousness because it would only frustrate him more. But, that had been asking too much of himself with being stuck in the tunnel with nothing really do. A man couldn't really run away from his own mind or thoughts. And Teyla was pretty much there along with other things.

And at this point, he was starting to wonder if he was ever going to see her again or their family. And that was starting to scare him. He wasn't afraid of a great many things. He knew his team would try to rescue him. They don't leave their people behind. He didn't have any doubt of that now. But before, he hadn't been afraid of dieing. He would have willingly give his life for any of his friends.

For it had taken him going to another galaxy thousand of miles away home to find where he belonged. To find a home, to find friends and to find the love of his life. He's still wasn't afraid of dieing, but right now he would rather walk a thousand miles with his injured ankle if it meant seeing and being with his family.

John looked down at his watch on his hand. Although his eyes had long since gotten accustomed to the darkness, he could barely see the watch must less the time. But it really didn't matter because his watch had stopped working, and he had knew that because he had checked his watch, to what had seemed like days ago to him. It was sheer force of habit he had looked at his watch. John frowned - his frustration building. He still wasn't sure how long he had been trapped here. Or for that matter when he was going to get rescue. But it couldn't come soon enough for him. The silence in the tunnel was deafening. The only voice he heard was his own. He wasn't like Rodney. He really didn't like to hear himself talking.

John began humming a view notes of a song called, Solitary Man.

_Don't know that I will_

_But until I can find me_

_The girl who'll stay_

_And won't play games behind me_

_I'll be what I am_

_A solitary man_

_Solitary man_

_I've had it to here_

_Bein' where_

_Love's a small word_

_Part-time thing _

_Paper ring _

_I know it's been done_

_Havin' one_

_Girl who'll love me_

_Right or wrong_

_Weak or strong_

For too long that song had been a reflection of his own life in some ways, but those words didn't define him now.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry for the delay, I had hope to finish write and post the epilogue this last week, but sometimes things happen to us and you have to ask yourself why me. Alright, I really want to thank those of you that have taken this journey with me and who have given me encouragement when I struggled with this story. I really wanted to look at how John and Teyla's relationship may have changed having become a married couple and expectant parents.

This fic title was inspired by the song by The Proclaimers, _I'm Gonna Be_ and then there is the Vanessa Carlton's _A Thousand Miles _that I love too. But it was more so the chorus from _I'm Gonna Be_. You see for me the thing I love about SGA, the team. With the team is that sense that you know they have each other backs no matter what and with John Sheppard in particular I believe John would walk that thousand miles for Teyla and even his friends. We have seen him do it in episodes like The Ark, Search and Rescue, Sateda, so I don't have any doubt that. I know John is not doing the saving in this one, but sometimes the hero needs saving too.

I decided not to include certain scenes in the story. Because I don't think they are too, too important. Again, thanks to those who let me know their thoughts and opinions and for the encouragements.

**Epilogue**

John's head bobbed then his eyes abruptly opened. It looked as if he may have dozed off for a bit. He had been hoping maybe this was all a bad dream. But once his drowsy eyes opened and saw his surrounding and the direness of his situation. He knew he was very much awake and not imaging anything.

His neck felt stiff. There was now a slight discomfort at the base of his neck, in his spinal area. It felt tight. He touched the back of his neck, rubbing it. Hoping to loosen that knot he felt forming there. He tried stretching then he tried turning his neck to loosen up the stiffness he felt there.

John hated waiting for anything, but that what he was pretty much reduced to doing. Waiting and hoping, hoping that his teammates will come to give him a hand out of what felt surely like a tomb. A mummy he wasn't and he didn't care to be one either. John fingers tighten into a fist. Minutes that seemed like hours passed, but when an unexpected noise drew his attention. He stilled as he tried to listen for what he thought the sound could possibly be, maybe it was some kind of phantom sound, a sound from his own imagination, but then he heard the noise again. His brow lifted.

xxx

Rodney walked out of the Jumper's Bay room followed by a badly limping John who was being assisted by Ronon and they were followed by a member of the medical staff, Dr. Woods and Major Lorne and several marines. Mr. Woolsey met them in the corridor as they exited the Jumper's Bay room, the men pausing as they saw Mr. Woolsey.

"Gentlemen…" Mr. Woolsey said looking at men before looking at John directly.

"Colonel, I'm glad to see that you have made it through your ordeal in relatively one piece."

John smiled half heartily. "Me too, sir."

xxx

John hurriedly limped into the infirmary with Ronon not too far behind him. John had only been briefed that Teyla had gone into labor, so he didn't know what would await him as he entered the Infirmary.

Carson saw the two men when they entered into the Infirmary and walk over to them. The men looked fatigued. Their clothing soiled, so too were their faces and hair, however the Colonel had looked the worst by far. There was a bandage on his cheek. One his pant leg was ripped apart. It's not like he hadn't expected as much.

"Where is Teyla?" John asked Carson impatiently as he came to stand next to him.

"Ah Colonel don't you look the worst for wear." Carson said to John before looking over at Ronon.

"Ronon." Carson said.

"Ah, thanks Doc. I've had better days." John said grimacing.

"Hey Doc." Ronon said.

"Doc, where is Teyla? Is she okay? And the baby…" John asked a little nervously.

"She's resting Colonel." Carson could see John's worried look. "She's fine. She will be back to her old self in no time."

John relaxed some, but he was still nervous. "And what about the baby?" He asked.

"Aye, ..." Carson looked at John with a sad expression.

John fell his heart began to pound, pounding as if it would leave his chest. Did something happen to the baby?

Carson saw that John looked aghast as soon as the words left his mouth, realizing what John was thinking. He had only wanted to say that he knew that John would have wanted to be here with Teyla when she had gone into labor and for the birth of their daughter.

"No Colonel! You have a beautiful and healthy baby girl."

John froze, Carson's words washing over him, he couldn't move from the spot if he had wanted to. He couldn't believe the words that came out of Carson's mouth. Carson was smiling at him, so that was good. So he really was a father. He suddenly felt a burst of emotions welled up in him. There were too many emotions for him to really name, _relief,_ _joy_, _pride_, _regret_. But the two things he was most certain at this moment was that he just wanted to see Teyla and he wanted to see his little girl.

xxx

John was sitting in chair by Teyla's bed holding their three days old baby girl in his hand while Teyla watched him from her bed. Teyla was smiling at him. The way John held their daughter. The adoration she saw in his eyes for her brought tears to her eyes.

John couldn't stop looking down at his baby girl just studying everything about her. She was perfect in every way to him. She was a little small due to her entrance into the world, but she was still perfect to him, with her tiny pinkish hand and fingers by her sides, although they were covered by the baby's blanket she was wrapped up in. His daughter had a strong grip. She probably got that from her mother. He loved giving her his pinky finger to hold on to when she was awake with her eyes usually closed of course. They still didn't know the color of her eyes yet. The Doc said that would take a few weeks before they know that, but that didn't stopped him and Teyla from debating with each other as which one of their eyes' color their daughter would have. He was sure he knew the answer. His little girl already showed signs of having the same dark hair color as her father. He took one of his fingers, lifting aside the little cotton cap covering his daughter hair to peak. Yep, she has his hair. He grinned to himself. Of course, he totally missed Teyla watching him and smiling.

John was too engrossed in his daughter. The first time he set his eyes on his daughter he regretted not being there when she first entered into her parents' crazy world of ridding the evils from Pegasus Galaxy, but he had made a promise then to his daughter that he wouldn't missed anything else in her life even if he had to walk a thousand miles to do it or to make it happen and it is a promise he intended to keep.

The End.

_Yeah, I know fluffy. But this was a Christmas's gift and now it is almost Valentine, so it had to be a happy ending. :)_


End file.
